


almost there

by deviltakethehindmost



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:47:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22578829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deviltakethehindmost/pseuds/deviltakethehindmost
Summary: Javert has fallen in love with the man he was meant to hate. Now all he has to do is find the words to tell him that.
Relationships: Javert/Jean Valjean
Comments: 5
Kudos: 94





	almost there

When Javert was dragged from the water, he’d never expected it would end up here. It was a warm day and Valjean worked quietly in the garden while he watched and every so often glanced down at the newspaper in his hands. If Valjean happened to cast a glance his way he ducked down and pretended to be deeply engrossed in some article or another. 

It had been three weeks previously, perched on this exact bench that Javert had arrived at a rather startling conclusion. The heat of the Summer sun had been at its peak and they’d both had no choice but to strip down to their shirtsleeves. As he had watched Valjean, with his muscled arms very much on show and his shirt stuck with sweat to his back, he found himself more than a little flustered. 

Of course, this was not something he recognised at first. For the first week or so, he took almost every single shift he possibly could, as he found it was the only way to avoid behaving like a bashful schoolboy in front of the man who had saved his life. Eventually Valjean cornered him and demanded to know what was going on. Instead of confessing, Javert simply promised to work less and the matter, thankfully, was dropped. 

On the Tuesday of the second week, he faced another shocking realisation. It was after dinner and they sat by the fire and read in silence. Javert looked up and found Valjean had dozed off in his chair. Quite suddenly, without any warning, he was struck with an incredibly strong wave of affection. When, eventually, he managed to bring himself to shake Valjean awake, he was struck breathless when the other man did nothing except nestle closer. 

The third realisation came only a few days later, when he somehow managed to cut himself whilst chopping an onion. It hadn’t been serious at all but Valjean insisted that it should be cleaned and bandaged. He then proceeded to grasp Javert’s hand and refused to release it until he’d completed the task. As he used an alcohol soaked cloth to clean the wound, Javert hissed in pain and Valjean started to rub his thumb in little circles on the inside of Javert’s wrist. It had all been a little too much. 

That night, while tucked up in his bed, he came to the conclusion that he had somehow managed to fall in love with Jean Valjean. For a man prone to not dealing particularly well with personal realisations, he coped with it remarkably. In fact, he was fairly sure that the subject of his affections had absolutely no idea.

So now he sat on the bench and admired from afar. He’d very quickly come to the conclusion that this was something best kept to himself. However, now as Valjean stood up and made his way towards the bench, he considered confessing it all.

“I think you may have the right idea,” Valjean said, as he placed himself down on the bench a little too close for Javert’s liking. 

“Pardon?”

“It’s far too warm to do anything in this heat,” Valjean continued and gave Javert’s shoulder a playful shove with his that made his heart flutter.

They sat in comfortable silence for a little while. Javert leaned in to Valjean’s side a little and was pleasantly surprised when the man didn’t move, even though it was far too warm to share any body heat. He found that he felt surprisingly brave. 

“Jean?”

“Yes?” 

“I was thinking, well, actually I suppose that’s not what I mean...I mean I was thinking but that’s just not how I meant to,” Javert stuttered, he cursed internally as he felt the blush rise on his cheeks. 

“Javert are you quite alright?” Valjean asked and reached across to touch Javert gently on the knee. 

And this was all a little too much for Javert. Without another word, he stood up and all but sprinted back into the house, not slowing down until he had slammed his bedroom door shut and collapsed onto the bed. 

II

Dinner with Cosette and her new husband had become a regular part of Valjean and Javert’s social calendar. In fact, it was actually perhaps the only event in their social calendar. 

Javert tolerated these dinners because he knew how happy they made Valjean. It was a little selfish he knew, but he loved how content the man looked when in the company of his daughter. 

Now in the carriage home, he smiled as he watched Valjean hum a tune absentmindedly to himself. It was just too endearing. Filled with a confidence that was probably fueled mainly by alcohol, he reached out his hand to place it on Valjean’s knee. Just as his hand arrived, he was struck by horror and instead decided to brush an imaginary piece of lint from his trousers. 

“There was something on your trouser leg,” he said in reply to the odd look Valjean gave him. 

For the rest of the journey home, Javert stared out of the window and pretended he didn’t notice how intently Valjean watched him. 

III

His next attempt was on Christmas Eve. They’d spent the evening at church and then he’d followed Valjean in his alms giving. As they walked home it had started to snow and when they arrived on their doorstep, he glanced around and found himself holding back a gasp. Valjean stared up at the snow as it fell, his cheeks were pink and his hair was peppered with snowflakes. He took a step forward and they were only inches apart. Valjean looked at him and he forced himself not to look away. 

“Valjean, I-”

“Javert,” Valjean breathed and Javert couldn’t help but take a step backwards. 

The snow had built up quickly and the step had obviously not been cleared. When Javert tried to put some distance between them, his foot immediately slipped out from underneath him and he let out a very undignified yelp as he hurtled towards the ground. 

“Dear god, are you alright?” Valjean asked, as he crouched down beside him. 

“Yes,” Javert huffed and immediately attempted to stand up, which failed miserably as he slipped and fell back down again. 

He attempted again and failed again. And then again. And then again. 

“Javert.”

“I’m fine,” he snapped and attempted again. 

“Javert, please.” Valjean said, “You’re going to hurt yourself. Please let me help you.”

He sighed and nodded. Valjean held out his hands, he gripped them and easily pulled Javert back onto his feet. Unfortunately it also left them incredibly close, he could feel Valjean’s breath on his cheek. 

“Thank you, he mumbled and went to move away but realised the other man still hadn’t let go of his hands. 

“Are you ok?” Valjean frowned. 

“I am not made of glass, Jean,” he almost growled in his impatience to escape from this situation. 

Valjean took another long look at him before he finally let go of his hands. He took his opportunity; opened the door and rushed into the house without another word. 

IIII

After the utterly disastrous events of Christmas Eve, Javert did not make any more attempts at confessions. He’d managed to convince himself that friendship with Valjean was enough and he shouldn’t risk that. This friendship meant everything to him, it was all he had, and the thought of losing that was too much to even consider. 

They’d spent the day in a tailors shop. Marius’ Grandfather had insisted upon a party to celebrate the young couple’s first anniversary. Valjean needed to get himself a suitably respectable suit and somehow convinced Javert that he needed one too. 

That day had been a try on of the almost finished product. Javert, even now, tried his best not to think too much on the strange look on Valjean’s face when the tailor had forced him to show Valjean his new dinner suit. It wouldn’t do him any good to be hopeful. 

Now they relaxed by the fire with a bottle of wine shared between them. They’d managed to drink almost all of it already and since they were not big drinkers, Javert felt quite confident that they were both a little drunk. 

“You looked very good in your suit,” Valjean said, after a very long period of silence. 

When Javert looked up and met his eyes, he continued. 

“I mean to say, I am so used to seeing you in your uniform, it is nice to see you looking so -” he paused for a long time, “You looked like quite the respectable gentleman” 

Somehow this seemed like a moment that would be difficult to go backwards from. Javert felt a familiar panic as it formed in the pit of his stomach. He glanced at the almost empty bottle of wine and made a decision. 

“I’ll get us another bottle,” he announced, rose up from his chair and started to walk past Valjean towards the kitchen. 

As he passed Valjean’s chair, the other man reached out and grabbed his wrist. He stopped in his tracks. 

“Jean.”

Before he managed to say anything else, Valjean had risen from his chair and pulled Javert incredibly close. 

“I tried to wait for you but as it turns out you’re utterly impossible,” Valjean said, a small fond smile played on his lips. 

“What are you-”

Javert’s question was silenced by the lips that pressed against his. The kiss was short and when he pulled back, he saw Valjean already had a grin plastered across his face. 

“I’ve wanted to do that for months,” the words tumbled out of Javert’s mouth before he really considered them. 

He blushed as Valjean let out a snort of laughter. 

“Oh I know,” he replied, “You were nowhere near as subtle as you liked to think you were. It was actually quite endearing.”

Before Valjean could embarrass him any further, Javert pulled him in for another, deeper kiss. He felt Valjean smile as their noses bumped together and couldn’t restrain the surprised noise that escaped his mouth, when he found himself pushed backwards until he was flat against the wall. 

“I really wanted to wait, I’d promised myself I’d wait until you finally made a move,” Valjean breathed, his mouth brushed over Javert’s ear and made him shiver, “But then today in that suit, Javert, you have no idea how hard it was not doing this right there and then.” 

“That would have been grossly inappropriate,” Javert somehow managed to reply, even though Valjean decided to move down and started pressing open mouthed kisses to his neck. 

He bit down hard on his lip as he attempted to stifle any embarrassing noises that might escape. It seemed as though Valjean quickly clocked on to this and started to suck softly on his very sensitive lower neck. 

“Upstairs?” 

At this stage all he managed was a nod in agreement. 

V

They were at Marius and Cosette’s Anniversary Party and Javert was trapped in conversation with a terribly boring couple who had spent the last twenty minutes talking about their issues with the police force. Normally, he would have at least attempted to politely engage with them but he’d noticed Valjean’s gaze directed at him and made the mistake of meeting it. The utterly indecent way the other man looked him up and down, made Javert immediately excuse himself so he could cross the room. 

“Inspector Javert,” Valjean smiled. 

“Don’t you dare,” Javert said. 

“Do what?”

“I think you know,” he replied and shook his head at Valjean’s massive grin. 

They looked at each other for a long moment. 

“I love you,” Valjean said, very softly. 

“What?” 

He must have misheard but the way Valjean looked at him seemed to say differently. The look was so unbearably fond that Javert was forced to remind himself that they were in public.

“I think you heard me,” the other man smiled. 

“Do you want to get some air? I think I need some air,” Javert announced quite suddenly, then turned and marched towards the door. 

It was only when he arrived in the garden that he finally stopped and turned around to check Valjean had followed him. Thankfully he was only a step or two behind, with a very concerned look on his face. 

“Are you well? I’m sorry if I shouldn’t have said that-”

As Valjean spoke Javert quickly glanced around to make sure they were completely alone. When he was sure, he grabbed Valjean by the lapels and pulled him in for a very brief kiss, conscious that they could be disturbed at any moment. 

“I love you too.”

When he looked up and their eyes met, Valjean had a ridiculous grin plastered across his face and Javert knew he had the same. 

“Now come on, we need to go back inside,” Valjean said and grabbed Javert’s hand to drag him towards the door. 

He was about to complain when Valjean seemed to sense it and squeezed his hand tightly. 

“I promise you we can leave in an hour,” he smiled and when Javert groaned in response, he added, “I love you.”

Javert groaned again and heard the other man’s snort of laughter. 

“I promise we can leave in an hour and when we get home I’ll fuck you over the kitchen table until you scream,” he said, very quietly, and Javert allowed himself to be dragged back into the party. 

“I suppose I love you too,” he muttered.

Valjean chuckled and, for the first time in his life, Javert suddenly felt overwhelmingly truly happy.


End file.
